ENEMY SHIPS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 March 1941, Page 5

ENEMY SHIPS

MANY CAPTURED OR SUNK FIVE SEIZED AT KISMAYA. SIX OTHERS DESTROYED. It is officially announced by the Admiralty, states the 8.8. C., that five Italian merchant ships, totalling 28,000 tons, fell into British hands when the port of Kismaya, Italian Somaliland, was captured by British forces. Four other Italian ships scuttled themselves. A German vessel attempted to escape but was intercepted. She then tried to scuttle herself. This was prevented but she later sank when in tow. Another German ship was driven ashore. OIL TANKER SUNK BY BRITISH WARSHIP AT MOGADISHU. An Admiralty communique, broadcast by the 8.8. C., announces that an Italian oil tanker of over 6000'tons was sunk by H.M.S. Shropshire during the advance of British troops along the coast of British Somaliland. SUPPLY SHIP DESTROYED BY HEAVY BOMB. A German supply ship of 2500 tons has been sunk off the Dutch coast by a British plane (the 8.8. C. states). The plane dropped only one heavy bomb. A direct hit was scored on the stern of the ship. HEINKEL SHOT DOWN ATTEMPTED ATTACK ON CONVOY. The Admiralty announce another British success in the North Sea, the 8.8. C. broadcast states. A Heinkel 111 which attempted to attack a convoy was shot down in flames by a patrol vessel. There was no damage in the convoy. KIEL CANAL TRAFFIC SEVERELY HAMPERED. IRON ORE SHIP SUNK. An Air Ministry communique, transmitted by the 8.8. C., sta'tes that traffic in the Kiel Canal has been seriously hampered for the last eight months by mine-laying by the R.A.F. The Germans admit that ships could only pass through the canal with the greatest difficulty. In November a ship was mined in the canal and in December an iron ore ship was sunk in the canal. Only small ships have been able to pass through it since. The German explanation was that a bride across the canal had fallen on the ship and sunk it. Enemy harbours, estuaries and shipping canals had been mined by aircraft from Norway southwards and in only ten per cent of the whole area well over 100 ships have been destroyed, including warships and transports.